Field
The present embodiments relate to residential sewage and drainage systems. More specifically, the present embodiments pertain to a sewage drain pump and basement maintenance device that requires no installation or simple installation and can prevent the overflow of a basement floor drain during periods of high water or as a result of a blockage in the system.
Basement floor drains are common in older residences for the purposes of draining accumulated water from the basement. The floor drain is placed at the lowest part of the house within the basement to collect water and allow it to flow into the drainage system of the rest of the house. Problems arise with this system of water removal when there is excess rainfall or when the house drainage system is clogged, either within its own limits or along its connection to an external system. When rainfall raises the water table and the household drainage system is unable to remove the water, this drain can overflow and cause fluids to backfill into the basement rather than drain therefrom. Similarly, when there is a clog within a combined sewage and drainage system, the clog can cause fluid, sewage and waste to flow up through the drain, contaminating a basement and causing flood damage thereto.
Several remedies to this common problem have been implemented in the art, and include standpipe structures, pumps, and sumps that either delay the backflow of fluid or remove it once the fluid has entered the basement. Sump pump devices are common in more modern homes, wherein incoming water drains to the sump location and the sump pump discharges the accumulated water from the basement before it causes damage. Traditional sump pumps are generally installed when the foundation of the home is built above the water table. Homeowners can install sump pumps if they live in a part of the country where storms often flood the basement; however sump pumps require the homeowner to make significant modifications to the basement structure and are not easily installed. These devices also do not prevent the backflow of sewage from a drain pipe, but rather collect and discharge fluid after the event.
The present embodiments relate to a self-contained, basement floor drain pump unit that includes a suction pump and a discharge pump for drawing fluid from within a basement main sewer drain or directly from the basement floor drain. The device pumps fluid into its housing and then discharges the waste from the basement before it enters the living space. An elongated pick-up tube is placed within the main sewer drain line or within the basement floor drain, where a fluid sensor monitors the fluid level to energize the suction pump after a threshold level is crossed. The suction pump pumps the fluid and sewage into an enclosed housing, where after a discharge pump energizes after the casing has filled above a given level within the casing. The discharge pump connects to an exhaust pipe that routes the fluid from the basement. Another embodiment running on battery power can be activated when the power is out to prevent the flow of fluids in the sewer line and standpipe.
Another embodiment is shown and disclosed that is inserted into a vertical clean out pipe. This device can detect water or sewage levels in the clean out pipe and when detected can power an air compressor. The air compressor can then pump compressed air to an inflator that will inflate to a predetermined pressure. The inflator blocks off the pipe which prevents the backing up fluids from discharging in to the basement. The device can have two compressors, one that is powered by standard wall 110 voltage and a second compressor that can be powered by a 12 volt battery system. This device prevents the back up fluids from discharging into the basement when the power is out.
Description of the Background Art
Devices have been disclosed in the background art that relate to sewage pump systems and basement pumps. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications, which generally relate to sump pump devices and other pump structures that are placed within a residential basement or have a connection with an existing floor drain. The present embodiments connect to a sewer main drain, floor drain or clean out pipe, but does not impede the ability of the main drain or floor drain from normal operation when deployed. Most devices in the background art block a floor drain port in favor of a closed system that eliminates the basic function of the drain and only considers backflow therefrom. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present embodiments, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the background art.
One such device is U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,609 to Schoenauer, which discloses a sump pump adapter having a tank that connects directly to a basement sewer pipe for pumping fluid that exits the pipe and into the tank using a sump pump device. A sump pump connects directly to the sewer drain pipe using a drain pipe coupler or is located adjacent thereto within the tank, where overflow from the drain triggers the sump pump to discharge fluid and sewage into an outlet pipe and out of the basement to prevent flooding and contamination. An embodiment of the device includes an elongated and upstanding standpipe within the tank such that fluid from the sewer pipe must travel the length of the standpipe and overflow into the tank before the adjacent sump pump triggers and discharges the contents into an outlet pipe. The Schoenauer device contemplates connection of a sump tank directly to a floor drain to pump overflowing contents therefrom. However, the connection of such a device over a floor drain may defeat the drain's purpose under normal operating conditions. The present embodiments contemplate an elongated member that is positioned within the drain to monitor for leaks, which not interfering with the drain's ability to collect and drain fluid from the basement under normal conditions.
Another device of particular relevance is U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,759 to Jurado, which discloses a basement flood control apparatus that comprises a pump unit separate from the floor and connecting to the basement floor drain and external water lines. The connection to the basement floor includes a sleeve that blocks the drain and forces backflowing contents into the pump unit. Within the pump unit casing is a first pump and auxiliary pump, whereby the first pump is energized when the water level in the unit reaches a threshold level, and the auxiliary pump energizes at a higher level. Water lines are used to clean out the system and to test the pumps between operations. The Jurado apparatus, while providing a means to draw fluid from a floor drain and pump it from a basement, utilizes a sealed floor drain configuration and diverging elements. The present embodiments require no fresh water connection and is simply placed within the floor drain or a basement main sewer line. The floor drain and sewer line continues to operate as normal; however during periods of high water or blockages, backflowing liquid triggers the pumping of fluid into a housing and from the housing out of the basement.
Other patents discuss sump pump devices and housings therefor. Specifically, U.S. Published Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0093492 to Janesky discloses a sump pump reservoir housing having an oblong cross section and a first and second sump pump therein for ejecting fluid drawn into the housing. U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,390 to Fisher discloses a sump pump having motor, a primary pump and a shell enclosing the motor and pump. An indicator provides notice of the motor operation and the construction of the device keeps much of the assembly out of the water to reduce faults or damage thereto over time.
The present embodiments comprise a self-contained unit that is deploy able in basements of older residences having flood drains that interconnect with household sewage drainage lines. The device offers a means to retrofit an existing basement without construction of a sump pump, while also diverting any backflowing wastewater from a drain pipe before it enters the basement. A pickup tube utilizes a sensor to energize a suction pump that draws the rising wastewater into a housing, where after it is pumped from the housing and from the residence using another pump device. It is submitted that the present embodiments substantially diverge in design elements from the background art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing sewage drain pump devices. In this regard the instant embodiments substantially fulfill these needs.